Music piece data in a digital format is relatively readily processed at the time of reproduction thereof such that the reproduction speed thereof is continuously changed. For such reproduction, there is available a music piece reproduction device capable of music piece reproduction while applying such a process (Twin CDJ Player CMX-3000, manufactured by Pioneer Corporation (searched as of Mar. 22, 2004), see the Internet <URL:http://www.pioneer.co.jp/cdj/products/cmx3000.html>).
According to this music piece reproduction device, in successive reproduction of two music pieces, it is possible to reproduce two music pieces while connecting them by causing the reproduction speeds thereof to coincide with each other and synchronizing the beat timings thereof.
However, in order for a conventional music piece reproduction device to reproduce two music pieces while connecting them by causing the reproduction speeds thereof to coincide with each other and synchronizing the beat timings thereof, as described above, it is initially necessary to cause the heads of the respective measures to coincide with each other and then to change the reproduction speeds thereof in order to synchronize the two music pieces.
Here, in actual play by a disc jockey (DJ), for example, two music pieces may be reproduced while being connected in the manner in which the reproduction of a certain music piece is ended at a desired point thereof and the reproduction of the following music piece begins from any desired point thereof. Further, for such reproduction, a variety of connection methods are available, including cut-in, cross-fade, long cross-fade, and so forth.
Specifically, with cut-in, while a first music piece is being reproduced (hereinafter referred to as “preceding music piece”), a second music piece to be reproduced after the preceding music piece (hereinafter referred to as “subsequent music piece”) is inserted with a standard sound volume. With cross-fade, while the preceding music piece is being faded out, the subsequent music piece is being faded in. With long cross-fade, a longer period of time is spent for cross-fading.
As described above, in play by a DJ, a variety of combination reproduction techniques are available beside composition and reproduction, including cut-in, cross-fade, and so forth. Specifically, with cut-in, the reproduction of the first music piece (a preceding music piece) is suddenly stopped and the reproduction of another music piece (a subsequent music piece) immediately follows, whereby the two music pieces are reproduced as if these are connected to each other in the middle thereof. With cross-fade, while the sound volume of the preceding music piece is gradually decreased, the sound volume of the subsequent music piece is gradually increased, whereby the two music pieces are gradually switched from one to the other.
The above-described reproduction while synchronizing two music pieces, however, is extremely difficult for ordinary people to achieve. That is, these combination reproduction techniques, such as composition reproduction, cut-in, cross-fade, and so forth, may not be readily enjoyed by just anyone, as these techniques require high levels of skill. Also, as these combination reproductions are originally designed to be carried out one by one by the user of the reproduction device, in order to enjoy combination and reproduction of favorite music pieces, the result of combination and reproduction conducted by the user himself/herself needs to be recorded, or the like, for example.
The present invention has been conceived in order to address the above-described problems which the conventional technique suffers, and one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a music piece reproduction device, a music piece reproduction method, a music piece reproduction program, and a storage medium storing the same, all for allowing anyone to readily reproduce music piece data like a DJ.
In order to compose and reproduce two music pieces using the above-described conventional reproduction device while causing the reproduction pitches thereof to coincide with each other and synchronizing the beat timings thereof, it is initially necessary to define the reproduction start positions of the respective music pieces at the head sounds of any measures thereof and then to change the reproduction pitches, whereby the reproduction pitches are synchronized.
Here, in recent years, as a device for use in music reproduction and TV program recording or the like, a hard disk device has been attracting increasing attention (see Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2002-94916). A hard disk device, which has characteristic features in being adapted to random access and having a large storage capacity, is capable of, for example, video data recording and reproduction of different data at the same time by making the best of the characteristic features. This remarkably enhances the degree of entertainment in viewing TV programs and music appreciation.
Meanwhile, many consumer game machines require a large capacity device, such as a hard disk or the like, as a result of increasing sophistication of game contents.
With the above as background, a composite device is developed which has a first device for reproducing music and recording TV program and a second device for realizing a function of a consumer game machine.
It is preferable for such a composite device that the hard disk can be accessed from both of the first and second devices. Further, it is preferable for a consumer game machine, or the second device, to be able to utilize the assets of game software having been accumulated from the past. In other words, the second device needs to maintain, even combined with a first device, compatibility with a home-use game device before the combination.
As described above, in order to maintain compatibility of one device and, at the same time, realize a composite device by combining the device and another device, an arrangement is desired in which a first mode in which the functions of the first device are mainly used and a second mode in which the functions of the second device are mainly used are switchable.
However, if it is further possible to import the image and/or music which is recorded using the function in the first mode into a game which is played in the second mode, development of a further variety of games can be promoted as a game using these images and music can be created.
In view of the above, another object of the present invention is to provide a composite device which can use the data which is stored in the first mode in a process to be carried out in the second mode for the purpose of development of a variety of games, for example.